Flags Out For Engurlund

[John Blutarsky]

5. They think they are going to cruise through their group, which may work against them.

 

capello doesn't think this, which will work for them.

[Jaggernaut]

I too have worries about them winning. I like to remind myself of the following:

 

1. They haven't got a goalkeeper worth the name.

 

2. Apart from Rooney (and how fit is he?) their strikers are ordinary.

 

3. Rio Ferdinand is capable of making almighty blunders.

 

4. They don't have much cover in any department.

 

5. They think they are going to cruise through their group, which may work against them.

I like most of that. But Lampard and Gerrard are both excellent, though.

[redandyellowallover]

I like most of that. But Lampard and Gerrard are both excellent, though.

 

They are both great players, but at the moment only Lampard is really in any kind of form.

 

I think Rooney aside, not many of their top players are currently playing at the top of their game.

[Wiltshire Jag]

Ffs! Some bbc twat last night made a comment about something in the crap that happened yesterday (wasn't listening properly so don't know what) last happened in 1966 "so perhaps that's an omen".

 

My nuts well done in already!

[Vom Itorium]

I saw that 30 man squad Capello announced yesterday and a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. They ain't gonna win the World Cup with that mob, of that I'm sure, there's far better in there than them.

[twinny]

On Monday night one of my (English) mates was saying how he's sick of the World Cup stuff everywhere already. How does he think I feel!??!!?!?

[Blackpool Jags]

Just noticed that Tesco are now the 'Official Supermarket' for them during the World Cup.

 

Oh well, Asda it is for me, till July anyway.

 

http://direct.tesco.com/content/specials/worldcup-tvoffers.aspx

[McKennan]

Can't see the problem with wearing a kilt to a Scotland game, is it not the national costume of our nation? You should be proud of it laddie!

 

Here was me thinking it was an affectation of the Scottish nobility in the 18th and 19th centuries. Tsk! Silly me. The plaid was worn by the ordinary Scot until it was outlawed. The Andy Stewart look is not what I'd call Scottish, despite determined efforts to rewrite history.

[Wiltshire Jag]

Haven't seen it but I believe Irn Bru have an add out along the lines of I had a can of Irn Bru back in 1966 but I'm still not going on about it!

Hardly likely to see that down here unfortunately. Need to check out irn bru website. We have to put up with the sun advert with venables warbling at Wembley. Excruciating!

[Don McVicar]

Hardly likely to see that down here unfortunately. Need to check out irn bru website. We have to put up with the sun advert with venables warbling at Wembley. Excruciating!

[/quote,

I'm having a Yankee Doodle Dandy party on 12th. I hate England collectively, and will be hoping they get done over at any stage in the competition. They have some great footballers, who i enjoy watching, but hope they all break their legs in unison.

Bitter, twisted, me?

[PaleGreySky]

not going to read any of the rest of this thread after the first post, but...

 

COONTROVERSIAL AND UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT!

 

as half-scottish, half-english, i find scottish people to be incredibly lame about england. what do you expect people to do? fold up their flags and sit on their hands for the duration of the world cup? england are in with a better shout than greece were when they won the euros, so why not get excited? the whole attitude and approach of scottish people is an, albeit small, part of the reason why we're not that good at anything. Have any of you guys ever walked away from a bad result at firhill tried to explain how thistle grabbed a draw form the jaws of victory by pointing out that the club, as a whole, has a losing mentality? I rememebe when we were 2-0 up on st johnstone a few years ago and drew 2-2 with two goals in the last minutes. Part of the reason entirely different sets of players seem to have this capability is the attitude of the fans and club, and the perceived role thistle play in scottish football. It's not just a flower that scotland and partick thistle have in common, it's an attitude, and it starts with the fans, who are the identity of these teams. Scotland is so bothered about what England is doing that it means there's a deep seated negative approach to everything. It's the same as thistle's obsession with the SPL, Rangers and Celtic. Although, Rangers and Celtic do have some better reasons for being disliked than the ones Scots pick up on abount England.

 

Sorry if that's a bit harsh, but it's me looking on as a neutral observer.

[Barney Rubble]

That's it now, it's not possible to be outside your house down here for two minutes without seeing either a pub, a car or some bam staggering along the road smothered in St George's red and white.

 

Look, I know that if we were going to South Africa in a few weeks we'd probably be doing the same, but for Jeezus' sake, what do you have to do to disabuse this mob of the seemingly unshakeable belief that they're going to be crowned World champions this summer. Ain't gonna happen chaps, get used to it and spend your money on sweeties for the weans or whatever but get that red'n'white sh*te tae feck.

 

What a horrible thought: a Tory Government and them winning the World Cup. I'd definitely have to chuck my job, family and house if that nightmare scenario kicked in. Thankfully, it ain't gonna happen, at least not all of it.

 

 

The positive from that scenario is that Scotland would be independent by Christmas, no contest.

[Barney Rubble]

capello doesn't think this, which will work for them.

 

 

I fully agree with this.

 

I've a horrible feeling that his regime might make the difference in this tournament.

 

His record suggests as much.

[Mr Bunny]

Their chances of hosting it any time soon may be shot though ...according to this story

 

On the current WC, England's best chance apart from having a good manager for the first time in ages is that several of the teams who should be good enough to beat England are having problems.

 

Argentina and France both have crap managers, bad enough to overcome the quality of the good players they have. Spain will have problems with injuries to the likes of Torres and Fabregas. I don't reckon Germany will do it - they'll still have their fighting spirit but don't think they have enough class players.

 

I do fancy an African team to go far in the tournament though, maybe to the semis.

[mrD]

im supporting england. i want to see football coming home.

[Jaggyman]

When considering Engerlunds chances i like to see how many of the England squad would get into one of the top teams starting XI. Rooney and Gerrard are the 2 stand outs for me with Lampard just behind apart from that they dont have much

[Blackpool Jags]

It's a shame the weekend's festivities have begun to wind down in this neck of the woods. Blackpool FC's heroics have carried the huge added bonus of seeing the previously ubiquitous Engurlund flags and other paraphernalia firmly shunted into the background as the town became one big Tangerine hologram.

 

Even this morning, though, on the way into work, there were noticably plenty of cars flying 'Olly's Tangerine Army'-style flags. However, I fear that we're about to be bludgeoned by a re-emerging sea of delusional St George's red'n'white pash between now and the quarter finals.

[uberteeb]

I watched the England vs Mexico game on Monday night, 15 minutes into the coverage I was sick of it all already with them fawning over distinctly mediocre players. Gareth Barry seems to get better the less he plays. And all those pathetic adverts you don't get on STV tugging at the heart strings, Mars Bars in St George's cross wrappers, that kind of stuff, does my box in.

 

As for the team, there was a time when I was fearful they would win it and I thought they were likely to do so. But when you look at it more closely Rooney is their only world class on form player and he has injury worries and never seems to work as well for England as he does for Man United. And who accompanies him? Defoe is too similar and needs a target man to play alongside which obviously isn't Rooney. The big freak Crouch who despite have a ridiculously impressive goal scoring record in an England shirt really isn't that great. Heskey is a joke and doesn't even get a game for Villa. I can't even remember who out of Bent or Cole Capello picked or if indeed he picked either of them but for me it would be one of them who starts with Rooney, clearly Capello won't do that though.

 

Lampard and Gerrard are the other 2 top players and again they don't seem to do it for England and Gerrard in particular has had a terrible season.

 

They have plenty of options at right wing and they are all decent but are any of them world class?

 

The Terry and Ferdinand back 2 looks like it will likely be disrupted by some kind of injury and judging by Monday Ledley King is not going to make the grade. Carragher seems like despiration even though he is meant to be cover for right back where he doesn't like playing, again bizarre.

 

They still have the problem of no natural left winger.

 

If they play Cashley and Johnson as full backs they will have these areas covered nicely although it would be squeeky bum time if a proper world class winger was to run at Johnson in particular.

 

The keepers are all dodgy in their own way, I wouldn't be happy to have any of them in goal for a top team.

 

Don't forget, the media in this country and the Sky Premiership coverage in particular rams down our throats how world cladd the Premiership and the players in it are. Take a step back and when you look it more closely the England team is more quantity than quality and I don't think it is good enough to win the world cup.

[Mediocre Pundit]

Maybe controversial, but I don't have a problem with any of this flag stuff in the slightest. I'm just jealous that we can't be doing it ourselves.

 

In work most of my staff are big England fans and they're all really excited. They all know I'm not supporting them and I'm happy to play the pantomime villain during the World Cup but to be honest if they did win it I'd at least be happy to see lots of people I feel a fondness for being happy.

 

Still hope they lose on penalities to Germany though...

[erzamacaroonbars]

Almost agree! No problem seeing folk with England flags, if your English then you should be proud to fly England's flag and have every right to do so! What does my head in is those folk who fly the Union Jack as the English flag!

 

I still hope they lose in the quarter finals or semi-finals!

[1 John Lambie]

I watched the England vs Mexico game on Monday night, 15 minutes into the coverage I was sick of it all already with them fawning over distinctly mediocre players. Gareth Barry seems to get better the less he plays. And all those pathetic adverts you don't get on STV tugging at the heart strings, Mars Bars in St George's cross wrappers, that kind of stuff, does my box in.

 

As for the team, there was a time when I was fearful they would win it and I thought they were likely to do so. But when you look at it more closely Rooney is their only world class on form player and he has injury worries and never seems to work as well for England as he does for Man United. And who accompanies him? Defoe is too similar and needs a target man to play alongside which obviously isn't Rooney. The big freak Crouch who despite have a ridiculously impressive goal scoring record in an England shirt really isn't that great. Heskey is a joke and doesn't even get a game for Villa. I can't even remember who out of Bent or Cole Capello picked or if indeed he picked either of them but for me it would be one of them who starts with Rooney, clearly Capello won't do that though.

 

Lampard and Gerrard are the other 2 top players and again they don't seem to do it for England and Gerrard in particular has had a terrible season.

 

They have plenty of options at right wing and they are all decent but are any of them world class?

 

The Terry and Ferdinand back 2 looks like it will likely be disrupted by some kind of injury and judging by Monday Ledley King is not going to make the grade. Carragher seems like despiration even though he is meant to be cover for right back where he doesn't like playing, again bizarre.

 

They still have the problem of no natural left winger.

 

If they play Cashley and Johnson as full backs they will have these areas covered nicely although it would be squeeky bum time if a proper world class winger was to run at Johnson in particular.

 

The keepers are all dodgy in their own way, I wouldn't be happy to have any of them in goal for a top team.

 

Don't forget, the media in this country and the Sky Premiership coverage in particular rams down our throats how world cladd the Premiership and the players in it are. Take a step back and when you look it more closely the England team is more quantity than quality and I don't think it is good enough to win the world cup.

 

Pretty much how I see it. Also, I don't think Gerrard is that good. He seems to over hit most passes, he's had a terrible season, apart from some long range goals, he hasn't done much in the last couple of years. The only reason he stood out for Liverpool over the years is because they have had pretty poor squads, he likes being the big fish in the smallish pond. Lampard is so much better, but he struggles for England.

 

When England's world cup hopes are being pinned on Gareth Barry, you know they have no chance.

Edited May 26, 2010 by 1 John Lambie

[briogadh]

I too have worries about them winning. I like to remind myself of the following:

 

1. They haven't got a goalkeeper worth the name.

 

2. Apart from Rooney (and how fit is he?) their strikers are ordinary.

 

3. Rio Ferdinand is capable of making almighty blunders.

 

4. They don't have much cover in any department.

 

5. They think they are going to cruise through their group, which may work against them.

 

I have no problems about England winning, although I'd probably prefer to see a team with real flair lift the trophy. I agree with your points. there are however two positives also - they have great team spirit, and in Capello a manager who is capable of getting the very best out of the material he has.

[mrD]

nice to see more people not being opposed to the idea of supporting our national representatives in the world cup as opposed to the usual ninety minute nationalist rantings you get from the skirt wearing brigade amongst our ranks.

 

just think if some uppity 90 min nationalists hadnt seceded us from the FA back in the day, thistle might be playing in an intersting league rather than this provincial morass that is scottish football..

[The Incredible Adam Spark]

nice to see more people not being opposed to the idea of supporting our national representatives

Whose national representatives? I'm not opposed to Scots cheering on the English, but please don't patronise us by suggesting they carry the hopes and dreams of any other nation state other than England on their shoulders.

[crazy davie]

nice to see more people not being opposed to the idea of supporting our national representatives in the world cup as opposed to the usual ninety minute nationalist rantings you get from the skirt wearing brigade amongst our ranks.

 

just think if some uppity 90 min nationalists hadnt seceded us from the FA back in the day, thistle might be playing in an intersting league rather than this provincial morass that is scottish football..

Rangers thinking. Out-and-out Rangers thinking.

 

Anti-Scotland and anti-TA.